Rim-contractor



C. C. HEITMILLER.

RIM CGNTRACTOB APPucmonmEo SEPT. 5, 1919.

Patented June 29, 1920.

CHARLES c. HITMILLER, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

RIM-CONTRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 29, 192() Application led September 5, 1919.' Serial No. 321,816.

'o It ywho/1t it 'muy concern:

lie it known that I, CriAiiLEs C. Herriiiiiiiin, citizen of the. United States, residing at Seattle, in the county oi King and State o1 livashiiigtoii, have invented certain new and useful improvements iii ltimCoiiA tractors, of which the following is a speci- Iicatioii.

This invention relates to an improved conti-actor for the demountable rims of motel-vehicle wheels and has as. one of its principal objects to provide a device of this character which may be readily ap-- plied to a rim and operated for contracting the rim, the device being adapted to automatically lock for holding the rim so contracted. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a devicewhich may, after a tire has been applied to the rim, also be employed for expanding the rim to its normal position for securing the tire thereon.

di still further object of the invention is to provide a device wherein slipping of the rim clamps employed will be prevented.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a device which may be used uponY substantially any conventional Jlype of split demountable rim without thenecessity ioi: structural chifiiige therein.

Othe'iand incidentalobjects will appear hereinafter. f

In tiie drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved device applied to a conventional. type of split den'iountable rim, an ordinary tire being shown upon the rim,

Fig. 2 'is a detail perspective View also showing the device applied, the end portions of the rim being broken away, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken oii the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

1n `cariying the invention into effect, I employ an operating lever 10, which, at its inner end portion, is curved laterally and pivotally connected to the laterally curved inner end portion of this lever is a longitudinally curved arm or link 11. At its .inner end portion this arm is directed laterally at an angle and is secured to the curved inner end portion of the lever 10 by a rivet or other suitable fastening device. At its inner end, the lever 10 carries a rim engaging clamp 12 while at its free end the arm 11 carries al companion clamp 13, These clamps are each formed of co 19 provided, as is common, in one end Y.zitting jaws 14. bent at their outer end portions to engage, as shown in Fig. 3, around the sides of a rim and provided with relatively long Shanks. Adjustably connecting the inner ends of the sha-fiks ofeach clamp is a 'clamping bolt 15 preferably equipped with a wing nut 16 and adjustably connecti ing the outer or upper ends of the Shanks of the respective claxmps are pivot bolts 17 also preferably equipped with wing nuts 18. As will be noted, the 'pivot bolt of the clamp 12 serves to pivotally connect the clamp with the inner end of the lever 10, the lever being received between the Shanks of its clamp and receiving the bolt therethrough. Likewise, the pivot bolt of the clamp 13 serves to connect this clamp with the free end o1E the arm l1, this arm, like the lever 10, being received between the Shanks of its clamp and receiving the pivot bolt therethrough. The clamps are thus mounted to freely swing upon the lever and arm and, as will be readily appreciated, the wing'nuts 16 and 18 maybe readily ad justed tor positioning the jaws of each clamp with respect to each other.

In the drawings, I have shown my improved rim contractor in connection with a conventional type of split demountable rim P91'- tion with an opening 2() adapted to receive a catch 21 upon the opposite end of the rim f for connecting the rim ends. U on the rim is shown an ordinary tire 22. n applying the device, the lever 10 is first swung to the position shown in Fig. 1 for spreading the clamps 12 and 13 when these clamps are, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, engaged with the end portions of the rim, the wing nuts 16 and 18 of the bolts 15 and 17 being adjusted, of course, for irmly binding the jaws of the clamps in engagement with the wardly and, as will be seen downward movement of this lever will cause the clamp 12 to be depressed for flexing the adjacent end portion of the rim outwardly while the clamp 13 willbe'correspondingly lift-ed for iiexing the other end portion of the rim inwardly. The rim ends will thus be automatically shifted out of register for disengaging the catch 21 of the rim from within the opening 20. Continued downward movement of the lever '10 will then serve, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, to shift the end portions of the rim into overlapping rim. The lever 10 isthen swung downrelation and contract the rim. When the lever reaches the limit of its downward movement it, will also be noted, as further shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, that the pivot point between the arm 11A and lever 10 will be moved beyond the pivotal center of the lever. Consequently, the lever upon reaching the end of its downward throw, will be automatically locked against upward movement for thus holding the rim contracted.l Thus, the tire 22 may readily be displaced from the rim'and as easily again fitted thereon. After the tire has been so replaced it will also be seen that by swinging the lever 10 upwardly, the device will act to expand the rim and again shift the rim ends into register, with the catch 21 connecting the rim ends.

Attention is now directed to the fact that no structural change whatever is required in the rim in order that my improved con-` tractor may be applied thereto. Therefore, since the jaws oi' the clamps of the device are adjustable with respect to each other and are thus adapted to accommodate rims of different widths, the device may be employed in connection with substantially any conventional type of split demountable rim. Also. it is to be noted that the jaws of the clamps will engage therim in such manner that mutilation of the rim will not result. llowever, in this connection particular attention is directed to the fact that when the jaws are applied and the lever 10 is swung downwardly, downward movement of this lever will act to cant the clamps upon the end portions of the rim. This canting of the clamps is, of course, enhanced by providing the jaws of the clamps with relatively long shanks. The clamp jaws will thus be caused to impinge affainst the `end portions of the rim and irmtly bind thereagainst so that slipping of the clamps along the rim ends will be overcome. As will be appreciated, I accordingly provide a highly effective device for the purpose set forth.

Having thus described the invention,

what is Iclaimed as new is:

In a rim contracting device, the combination with rim clamps having adjustable rim engaging jaws, of a lever having its forward portion curved longitudinally and pivoted to one of said clamps, and a link having one end portion pivoted te oneof said clamps and the other end portion curved longitudinally and pivoted to the curved portionof said lever, the curved portion of said. link being adapted to overhang one oi 'said clamps when the lever is moved to an operative position at one side of the clamps.

v'ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature CHARLES C. HEITMILLER. [1. 8.] 

